Thousands of Christians marched with torches on March 22 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh’s capital, to protest the state’s new anti-conversion law. Protestors carried placards urging the government to scrap the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, passed by the State Legislative Assembly on March 19. They called it a black law. The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion, 2026, replaces a 58-year-old law by redefining conversion provisions and imposing stricter penalties for forced or fraudulent conversions. The protestors expressed fears that the new law will worsen discrimination and harassment against the Christian community, which they believe violates constitutional guarantees.